The concept of studs for snowmobiles is old in the art. Typically, snowmobile studs are located on a flexible and resilient track that engages all sorts of terrain including snow, mud, ice and even, on occasion, asphalt or concrete roads. Since snowmobiles can travel in excess of 100 miles per hour, the snowmobile track and any members secured to the snowmobile must endure high centrifugal forces without destroying the snowmobile track. In addition, the rotation of the snowmobile track subjects the studs and fasteners to substantially cyclical forces which oftentimes cause the head of the snowmobile stud to cut through the snowmobile track. Typically, snowmobile tracks are made from flexible and resilient material which may, in some cases, be only 1/8-inch thick.
Since the centrifugal forces generated by the studs are proportional to their weight, the studs and fasteners should be lightweight. In addition, the studs should be easy to apply or replace if replacement of the studs is required. The studs must also have sufficient tensile strength and wear-resistance to bite into the ice, snow, mud or rocks that they may encounter. To achieve this strength and wear-resistance, the studs are usually made of a hardened steel. Another feature of the studs in that, once installed, they should not work loose but continue to firmly engage the snowmobile track until removed. If the studs do not firmly engage the track, they move about and pinch the track thereby enlarging the hole around the stud and allowing the stud head to be pulled through the track by the centrifugal force generated on the stud.
Typically, the prior art studs are held in place by a nut which rests on a large diameter washer. One of the problems with prior art studs is that, because of the variation in forces applied to the stud, the stud periodically rocks back and forth or tips in relation to the washer or retaining member holding the stud on the track. This tipping pinches the track and creates an area of extremely high pressure on a small portion of the snowmobile track located between the washer and the stud head which tends to, over a period of time, cut a hole through the track. As the hole is cut through the track, it widens and, eventually the stud is thrown out, leaving a large hole and a weakened snowmobile track.
The present invention solves the problems of track deterioration and stud loss in snowmobile tracks by providing a one-piece flanged lightweight fastener which coacts with a snowmobile stud head to capture the track to discourage the track from being pulled from between the head and the fastener. In addition, the fastener maintains the captured portion of the track in a parallel, non-pinching relationship to the head of the snowmobile stud, thus distributing the cyclic tipping forces over both sides of the snowmobile track area captured by the head of the stud and the fastener and virtually eliminating damage of the track due to rocking or tipping action of the snowmobile stud.